That shocking "dung battle" finally ended with the villagers routed and Crazy Ghost claiming a "complete victory." Only after watching the last villager scramble and crawl out of sight did Crazy Ghost contentedly return his "Whirlpool Yellow Dragon Hammer" to the corner of his shack, as though it were no deadly weapon, but merely an ordinary farming tool.
He clapped the dirt off his hands, hummed an off-key tune, and began tidying his disheveled "home." Sunlight fell across his somewhat scrawny back, lending him an inexplicable air of ease and contentment.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yan, who had slipped away early, hurried all the way back to the Xiao Clan estate. He took several deep breaths, trying to shake the lingering images of foul stench and bizarre spinning from his mind.
"That was terrifying! That guy called Crazy Ghost is practically a walking biochemical disaster!"
Xiao Yan resolved to stay far, far away from that oddball from now on-the farther, the better! Having made up his mind, he plunged into his room and shut the door tightly. Out of sight, out of mind. He resumed his daily Dou Qi cultivation, hoping the dull exercises would wash away his discomfort.
Yet though the tree longed for stillness, the wind would not cease. Just two days later, a familiar voice that made his scalp prickle rang out beyond the Xiao Clan's main gate.
"Xiao Yan! Xiao Yan! Come out and play! I've modified my bicycle again and added two jet boosters. It's crazy fast! Let me take you for a ride!"
Crazy Ghost's energetic voice carried through the courtyard walls and reached Xiao Yan, who was sitting in meditation inside, with perfect clarity. He had even pushed his "monstrously modified" bicycle over, with several strange tin canisters attached to its frame, and was craning his neck to peer through the gate.
Xiao Yan jolted, nearly sending his cultivation awry. Almost by reflex, he sprang from the ground and darted behind an artificial rockery, leaving only half an eye exposed as he warily watched the gate.
You've got to be kidding! Go for a ride with this guy? Who knew what would come spraying out of those so-called "jet boosters"! What if it was...
Xiao Yan dared not pursue that thought. He made up his mind: as long as Xiao Yi stayed, he absolutely would not come out.
Scenes like this played out repeatedly over the following days. Crazy Ghost seemed to take endless delight in pestering Xiao Yan, appearing at the Xiao Clan's gate every few days and calling for him with all manner of excuses that sounded utterly dubious.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yan honed his "hide-and-seek" skills to perfection. Whenever Crazy Ghost appeared, he always found somewhere to hide at once, adamantly refusing to face him. In time, everyone in the Xiao Clan knew that the "Crazy Ghost" who often came looking for the third young master was a "nuisance" the third young master could not flee fast enough.
Naturally, Xiao Zhan noticed this peculiar phenomenon too. He still kept something of an eye on this "unpredictable factor." He had also sent people to inquire about the clash in the western part of the city a few days earlier.
The reports that came back were simply beyond belief: "a dung bucket wielded like a meteor hammer," "yellow slurry turned into chains," "flinging shit through the air to drive enemies back a hundred paces"... Xiao Zhan's eyes twitched as he listened. He knew Crazy Ghost was no ordinary child, but these descriptions were far too outrageous. Not even a storyteller could have dreamed them up!
Xiao Zhan was more inclined to believe that the villagers, having suffered a crushing defeat, had embellished the story to conceal their own incompetence and humiliation, making the account more exaggerated with every retelling.
After all, it was not entirely incomprehensible that a helpless youth driven into a corner might, in desperation, grab the most "convenient" thing at hand as a weapon and repel his enemies with filth to protect himself. In a fight, especially amid such chaos, people naturally used every means at their disposal. It was just that this child's "weapon" and methods were indeed... a little too distinctive.
Even so, watching his son become a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow whenever he heard Crazy Ghost's voice left Xiao Zhan unsure whether to laugh or cry. He had originally hoped Crazy Ghost might bring some liveliness into the gloomy Xiao Yan's life. Now it seemed he had brought more "frights" than anything else. Still, Xiao Zhan had no intention of intervening for the time being. After all, this was merely a matter between children. More importantly, as the head of a clan, if that deranged youth splashed him with yellow slurry, how could he ever show his face outside again...
The peaceful days did not last long. One morning, as Xiao Yan sat cross-legged to cultivate as usual and tried to gather the Dou Qi within him, an unprecedented sense of emptiness seized him.
His dantian was utterly empty. The Dou Qi that had once obeyed him as readily as his own limbs and surged without cease had vanished without a trace, as though it had never existed!
Xiao Yan's eyes flew open. All color drained from his face, and his eyes filled with disbelief, horror, and panic.
Unwilling to give up, he tried again and again, but the result remained the same-the Dou Qi he had painstakingly cultivated for years had disappeared overnight.
Xiao Zhan, head of the Xiao Clan, learned of this thunderbolt from a clear sky immediately. When he entered his son's room with heavy steps, he found Xiao Yan sitting forlornly beside the bed, his eyes vacant, as though his soul had been drawn out.
Pain stabbed through Xiao Zhan's heart. He stepped forward and awkwardly patted his son's shoulder, his voice trembling slightly. "Yan'er, it'll be all right. Your father will find a way... There must be a way." But Xiao Yan merely sat there numbly without a word, offering no response to his father's comfort.
Seeing his son like this twisted Xiao Zhan's heart like a knife. He forced down his anxiety and offered a few more words of reassurance, but when Xiao Yan remained silent, he could only sigh helplessly and turn to leave. Outside the door, Xiao Zhan's brows drew tightly together.
Yan'er's Dou Qi vanished so mysteriously. Could his earlier rapid progress really have left some hidden problem? Without that proud cultivation, how difficult would the road ahead... become? Mockery, bullying, stones hurled at him after he had fallen into a well... Xiao Zhan could almost foresee what awaited his son. His other two sons had already left to gain experience and were not nearby. As clan head, he had to put the greater good first in everything and could not openly favor his son too much. As for Xun'er...
Before long, soft footsteps sounded. It was Xun'er. Carrying a bowl of plain rice porridge, she approached Xiao Yan and gently coaxed him. "Brother Xiao Yan, have something to eat first. Your health matters." Xiao Yan slowly raised his head. Looking at Xun'er's beautiful face, written all over with concern, he worked his throat, but ultimately only said hoarsely, "I'm fine, little sister Xun'er. Go back for now." The coldness that held her a thousand miles away made Xun'er's eyes redden slightly, but she could only set down the porridge and silently withdraw.
Xun'er's figure disappeared through the doorway, and the room sank into deathly silence once more. Outside, Xiao Zhan watched the scene, his worry deepening. That girl Xun'er had a formidable background, and her strength was even more unfathomable. With her around, Yan'er's safety might be assured, but... having a boy protected by a girl in everything was no lasting solution, and Yan'er's stubborn nature would certainly never accept it. Friends. What Yan'er needed most now were friends-companions who would still stand beside him when he fell to the bottom of the abyss, never leaving or abandoning him.
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